Misery loves company: Chapter 3
by SidheEilid
Summary: Severus and the Sidhe "bond in blood", though he doesn't recall this after his ordeal with Lupin and the Marauders. The Sidhe runs into an old foe, and Severus's relationship with Lily Evans continues to suck-hardcore.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**

**I do not own Snape, Hogwarts, nor anything contained in the HP series what-so-ever, they are sole property of JK Rowling, etc etc.**

"Sidhe" is pronounced "Shee", which is featured commonly in Celtic mythology and stories from the British Isle/Ireland, in the event you're interested in learning more. The idea for the story came from the 7th book, where both Snape and Lily had a doe patronous, enjoy.

It was the beginning of summer, two kids sat in a park talking to each other about the wonders of the wizarding world. Lily Evans and Severus Snape, two very different wizards; but one could not help but notice that his female companion captivated Severus. The expression on his face was pure adoration; he wanted nothing more than to be near her always. Lily, on the other hand, did not notice the gleam in her friend's eyes and was watching some children play whilst asking various questions and keeping her lustrous emerald eyes away from the sable ones who caressed every inch of her skin. It was only when Lily asked about a childhood fairy tale that her grandmother had told her that she turned to Severus.

"Sev, is it true that there's something called a Sidhe?" Severus blushed and looked away from her, but luckily, Lily didn't notice his embarrassment.

"I've heard of them, no one has ever seen one. Most of the Sidhe probably went extinct by now, or else were reverted back to their original forms and dwell elsewhere. My mum says that there's a special Sidhe, she disobeyed the Fairy Queen by saving a mortal whom she loved. As punishment…well, you already know the story." He pretended to stare at a sparrow that had set itself upon a water fountain and Lily shoved him lightly.

"No tell me the rest of it!" Severus pretended not to notice again, but he quickly glanced at her from the corner of his eye, Lily noticed and shoved him again laughing.

"SEV!"

"Alright! Calm down, you said you knew the story." He looked at her and let his eyes wander over her again, of all the horrible shit in his meaningless existence, Lily was the only thing that made him feel something other than fear and hate. His looks were never lustful or perverse, Lily never noticed the warmness to his usual cold lifeless eyes, but that didn't bother Severus.

"I want to hear your version, the wizard version." Her voice was so melodic, it made Severus blush again at the thought that she wanted to hear his version.

"Well,legend says that the Sidhe queen, who had become infuriated by her handmaidens' lack of servitude, sentenced one hundred of them to take the form of white hinds and to go out into the world of Muggle and wizard. They were to grant the wishes of men, be able to take on any form desired by their masters, and once the life of their master expired—so would the Sidhe's sentence. Most of the Sidhe who were subjected to this, were not excited by this prospect at all, having spent their fairy lives messing around and disobeying their queen. So, it fell onto men to capture them, and if a man did capture her—she was bonded to him for his lifespan. Legend said that a Sidhe could be caught only by conventional means, no magic could be used against them, in order to capture a Sidhe—a man would have to be willing to follow her for days, weeks, hell even years and injure her with an arrow or trap her in a net or pit. But the men had to be careful, because if the Sidhe was too weak after her capture, she would perish and so would their lives."

"I want to find this magical Sidhe, and free her, she must be so lonely." Lily leaned against Severus's shoulder, he flinched a moment and then cautiously laid his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm sure someone has already found her Lily, there are plenty of wizards who would do anything to capture her. If she isn't just a fairy tale, if she was real, I'm sure they would have gone extinct by now." He could smell her hair and he closed his eyes a moment, if he could find that magical hind he would make Lily his forever.

"Has anyone ever seen her?" Lily asked cautiously, putting her face against his skinny chest, she could feel the bones poking through the thin skin, it frightened her to some degree, but she realized once more why he was so thin and gangly. Severus did not have the best father, the man beat his mother and Severus himself, nor did they always have something to eat.

"My mum said that my great grandfather had, but he had not been able to capture her at all. She is immune from enchantment." He opened his eyes and glanced down at her, he knew she could feel his bones, he knew that she felt sorry for him, but that would never change his love for her.

"Sev, if I were to catch the Sidhe, I would give you a better home."

"Uh…thanks Lily, that's sweet." He closed his eyes; that's the only reason she was near him, pity. He felt his heart sink.

"Lily!" It was Petunia, Lily's sister. Snape grimaced as Lily swiftly moved and started to run to her sister, she turned for a brief moment to look at Severus.

"Goodbye Sev!" She called and ran to her parents and sister. He sighed heavily, watching her leave broke his heart, he hated it when she was gone, then it meant he had to be back in the darkness.

"I love you Lily…" He whispered, "and if I were to catch that white doe I would show you how much I love you. I'd want to be with you always, regardless if you're a muggle born or not…"

Five years later…

Severus was nearly fifteen, well in January anyway but he and Lily were inseparable. They walked together in the hallway, chit chatting about the usual gossip when Lily leaned against a wall.

"Let's take a breather huh?" She brushed her crimson hair from her eyes, glancing at him coyly, he smiled very faintly, he wanted to brush the hair from her eyes and kiss her mouth hard in front of everyone, but he restrained himself. No, kissing Lily might ruin his chances of ever hoping to be anything more than just a friend; it might even ruin their friendship completely.

"Yeah." His voice was quiet, he gazed over her body hungrily, and as usual Lily didn't even notice. She made a squeak and began to fish for something in her bag, she pulled out a book and held it out to him.

"Oh I almost forgot, I found this at the Library." He took it from her gingerly, eyeing it cautiously and cradling it like it was his own child.

"What is it?" He asked curiously, Lily smiled when he looked up and he smiled back.

"Remember the story about the Sidhe?" Severus nodded and Lily giggled, oh god, he loved everything about her, he was so captivated by her at the moment that he didn't notice Potter and his crew come up behind him. Sirius gave Severus a sharp kick in the butt and launched him into Lily, Severus had to keep balance and tried not to fall into Lily's face. He instead got bee-lined towards her chest, a dream come true of course, but he moved out of the way just in time to hit the floor instead.

"SIRIUS! That was RUDE!" Lily screamed, her eyes darting furiously at the four of them.

"Oh sorry there Snivellus, I didn't see you." Sirius lied. James laughed at looked at Snape on the floor who was fuming pissed; Snape rose slowly and brushed off his second hand robes.

"Hey you didn't try to fall into Lily's chest did you? Now that would be a serious offense Snivelly-wivelly. Us Gryffindors would hate it if you muddied up one of our own." James's voice was high pitched and Snape knew Sirius had done it on purpose. He glared at them all and huffed, clutching the book even though his elbow was scraped badly and was bleeding, as were his knees.

"Shut up Potter!" Lily said angrily, grabbing Snape's hand, "Come on Sev."

When Lily grabbed his hand Snape got a smile on his face and turned to Potter and gave him a look that clearly said, 'What are you going to do about it?'. As the pair walked off, Lily let go of his hand, which disappointed Snape very much but there was nothing he could do about it. It was either get his ass kicked by Potter and his gang or get his ass kicked by Potter and his gang even more for Lily going out with him.

"Lily, about the Sidhe, no one's seen her in centuries, not even Dumbledore has seen her!"

"I saw her." Lily whispered, Severus blinked and grabbed her hand and hauled her toward a broom closet and pulled her close to him.

"What? Where?" His luck was just starting to turn, if he could track the deer down then Lily would be his forever.

"She—she was, oh no, I'm afraid someone might kill her…Sev…" Her voice was desperate, he pulled her closer and hugged her kissing the top of her hairline.

"It's okay Lily, no one would ever kill her, she's immune to enchantment."

"But not to arrows!" Lily whispered fiercely, "or guns!"

"Lily…the Sidhe is immortal." He chuckled, "Nothing could ever harm her."

"Really?" Lily asked staring up at him, he nodded once and she squeezed him tightly, "OH SEV! We'll find her together."

"But she can only have one master Lily, and if we find her together, I want you to have her until the day you die."

"That's sweet Sev. But you deserve her more than I do…" She pulled back away from him and smiled at him.

"So, where did you see her?" He asked gently and quietly.

"She was on Hogwarts grounds, yesterday morning, just before dawn near Gryffindor tower. She…she looked straight at me Sev and I knew. Then some fog rolled in and she was gone." She giggled, "Do you think she'll be back tonight?"

"Hard to say, I doubt it. How do you know it was a Sidhe and not an albino deer?"

"Sev, just by the way she glanced at me in the tower. I just knew. I'm scared that Potter and his friends might hurt her, or some Slytherins."

"She is _immune_ to enchantment. Nothing bad will happen to her, I promise."

"Thank you Sev." She hugged him, "I'm going to be late for class. I'll see you later."

"Yeah." And like that, she was gone again. But she had seen the Sidhe, and he was one step closer to having his dreams realized.

That night Severus followed Potter and his friends outside to the grounds and started to head towards were Gryffindor tower was. The air was fresh and cold, Severus had to do his best to wrap himself in a blanket to keep from freezing, he glanced around to see if he was being followed and pulled his wand out just in case. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary and started to look for prints, he found nothing. He sighed and was just about to head back to bed when something caught his eye, he turned slowly, and there she was, drinking from a deposit of water. He wanted to run after her and capture her for she hadn't seen him yet, cautiously he took his blanket off and that's when the hind's neck shot up. They stared at each other, locked in a contest.

"No…don't run away…I need you…please. I need you Sidhe." He whispered, fearful that she would dart off, the doe did no such thing, and instead she began to walk towards him. When she got about three feet away, close enough to where he could capture her, he realized that it wasn't the Sidhe, it couldn't be. The hind was only about two and a half feet at the shoulder, closer looking to a fawn than an actual mythical Sidhe which was said to be about the size of a normal red deer, and it had twisted its back leg.

"You're not the Sidhe, I should have known." He glanced over her, "You're too small and your injured, probably just some stupid deer."

The doe heard and noise and lifted her head up quickly again, Snape turned, Dumbledore was standing only a few feet away.

"Professor!" Snape hit the ground groveling almost and began to speak rapidly, "Sir I didn't mean to be breaking the rules but Lily Evans said she had seen the Sidhe and I figured I would come find her and—"

"Enough Severus, this deer is not the Sidhe perhaps, for they say she is immortal but she seems to really have taken a liking to you." Severus turned around and the deer was sniffing his clothing.

"I guess she has…" Severus replied.

"They say you have a knack for making potions, do you think you could heal this deer back to health and then release her?" Dumbledore asked, his expression jovial as usual.

"Yes sir."

"Very good, now take this deer to Hagrid and make a suitable potion for this lovely animal."

"Yes sir." Snape got up off the ground and turned to the deer, "come on."

But the animal did not budge, she kept staring at Severus in this peculiar way, he reached out and attempted to touch her but the animal jumped back a few feet.

"Go on." The headmaster encouraged the animal that gingerly followed the boy, the doe quietly gave a look to Dumbledore, and the two understood each other, though they were different species in just a look.

A week later…

The deer strolled outside in her own paddock as the different houses came to look at her, she didn't pay attention to any of them, save for when Severus came around, that was when she started to call out and bound for the gate. Everyone in school knew he had found this deer and Lily could hardly believe it. She and Severus went down to check on the deer after a class and stood beside the gate for a long while just staring at the hind.

"Oh Sev, she's beautiful. But she's not the Sidhe?" Lily turned to him and he blushed.

"No." He scratched his head, and all his dreams had gone down the drain. The Sidhe didn't exist at all. Lily hugged Severus.

"Well I had better go, I'll see you around." She started to walk away and once she was out of whispering distance he turned to the doe. No one was near him, it was just him and the doe now who stared at him with her beady black eyes.

"If only you had been the Sidhe, then Lily would be in love with me." He glanced down at the ground and sighed, that's when he heard the voice.

"How can you be so sure that I'm not what you claim I am?" He was startled a moment and looked back at the doe who was still gazing at him quizzically.

"Are you a Sidhe?" He leaned over the gate to stare at her; the doe lowered her head and resumed eating grass. "DAMN IT ARE YOU THE SIDH!"

"Oh now Snivelly gets off on talking to deer!" He recognized that voice and turned around, his eyes staring down James Potter and only James Potter.

"Shut up Potter." He turned back to the doe when James grabbed him and pushed him against the gate roughly.

"You listen here Snape and you listen well. Lily is _my_ woman got it? She's a Gryffindor and you're a Slytherin. It would never work between you; you're too cold hearted for her. Too hideous for her. Look at you; you haven't even learned what a bar of soap is by the look of your hair. Stay away from her. Got it?"

"Never." Snape returned, his nostrils flaring and staring at him with an icy gaze. James punched Snape in the face.

"Stay away from Lily you freak." He hit him once more in the stomach and Severus doubled over and lay on the ground in defeat. James kicked him and laughed, he started to walk away cackling to himself. Once James was away, Severus heard the voice again.

"You let him push you around like that? Stand up for yourself." He turned around quickly and the doe was staring at him again.

"I must be going insane." Severus said, standing up and grimacing. The doe lifted her gaze and strode over to him.

"Insane? No, but since I've been watching you for a long time now, I suppose it would seem a little insane talking to me." His mouth dropped wide open and the doe got a look to her face that was about the deer equivalent of amusement. He realized her ears were tipped black, and her eyes had no pupils, it was like they were one big pupil and he could see his reflection clearly in them.

"You…are a Sidhe?" He inquired, staring at her, the doe nodded.

"The Last. The Hundredth Sidhe. I have been imprisoned in this form before the Gaels settled this land. But I am not yours, not yet anyway." She answered coolly. She smirked as Snape climbed the fence and sat down listening intently.

"Do you have a name?" He asked, she shook her head and closed her eyes.

"I have forgotten it."

"How can you forget your own name? The name you were born with? I assume you were born?" He leaned forward and she came close to his face, an angry look to her eyes.

"I have forgotten it." Her answer was cold, he shrugged and groaned, his stomach still hurt from the blow James dealt him. "Who is that Lily girl I keep hearing of?"

"Lily? She's the love of my life." The doe sniffed at the air indignantly, the boy was foolish, surely the visions she had been having of him were wrong.

"Oh, how so?" The hind asked curiously. He smiled widely.

"I've always loved Lily, I would give up my life just for her, I would do anything to feel her laying next to me…every single morning when we wake up we'd kiss and I'd make her breakfast." His little daydream was interrupted by the hind who had snorted at the notion of him making food for anyone.

"Boy I'm going to tell you something, you may love this girl but if you want her to love you back you better tell you how you feel."

"I can't." The doe's eyes widened, she stamped a foot and got right into Severus's face.

"Oh, you can't can you? Because you're so damn pathetic that you'd rather lose the woman of your dreams to that idiot than lose her as a friend and have her never speak to you again. Why not bring her here, show her what you've found?" The deer mused and watched as Snape got up and bounded away when he tried to touch her.

"You wouldn't speak to her; you won't even let me claim you."

The hind paused for a moment, then again she had damn good reason not to allow the teenagers lust to impact her plan, even if the boy had given her some kind of magical concoction to help her broken leg.

"Just bring her to me; I'll sort out the rest."

"What are you going to do to Lily?" He asked dangerously, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Nothing." The doe replied, and she was being honest too. She couldn't kill Lily or hurt her so it didn't matter anyway. Severus got up and jumped the fence again and started to hurry off, never looking back at the doe.

At Lunch Severus did exactly what the hind had asked him and he brought Lily down to see her. Lily was especially ecstatic when Severus conjured up a salt cube and told her she could feed them to the hind. At the fence the doe gave Severus a look and he knew what she wanted, she wanted him to leave.

"Lily, I forgot something, can I run back and get it real quick? I swear I'll be back." Lily smiled and nodded.

"Go Sev. I'll stay and keep the doe company." Lily turned back and attempted to pet the animal, which leapt away from her almost instantly. Snape started to run away from the paddock but saw Potter and his gang and fled towards where he knew the hind wouldn't be able to see him.

There was Lily, talking to her like she was some adorable pet. The sun shone on her hair and made it sparkle, Snape felt his heart grow warmer and his eyes wandered all over her, stopping on her breasts a few times. But he was allowed just this once.

"I wish you were the Sidhe. Then Severus could have a better life. And I wouldn't be so worried about him all the time. He's a wonderful friend." Lily wasn't even paying attention to the doe until it spoke.

"You really think I am not the Sidhe?" Lily jumped back a few feet rather than the hind this time and the doe's ears lowered, "Relax. He hasn't claimed me yet; I won't allow it, not yet anyway. Look, you're a damn fool if you don't realize that boy fawns over you like you are Helen of Troy."

"What…you…you are the Sidhe?" Lily stammered, shaking so badly she dropped the cubes of salt that Severus had given to her. The doe's look of amusement came back to her face.

"He's not like the other boys, not like the one who they call 'Potter'. You should be happy that he is your friend and that he loves you." The doe remarked, Lily gasped and started to cry, Severus wanted to spear the hind but something in his head told him to wait. The hind and the girl stared at each other for a moment, and finally the doe spoke again.

"Don't you know that he will never end up like the rest of his Slytherin pals? He has someone in his life that causes him to be joyful and that person is his light. Don't you know who that person is Lily?" The girl was crying so hard but she glanced up at the deer and finally something snapped within her, Lily stepped away from the deer.

"You lie. Severus doesn't love me." Could the deer raise an eyebrow she would have, the doe shrugged in a deer way.

"You have a week to decide. On the full moon if you still don't believe me, I will prove it to you. That is the word of the Sidhe."

"And what happens if your word isn't true?" the girl asked cautiously. The hind laughed and ran around the pasture kicking up her gangly legs and cackling like a mad person. Lily didn't find this at all amusing, but finally the doe stopped and very bluntly spoke.

"I'll die." The hind paused a moment before laughing, "No, that's rather a bunch of bullshit, but I do have morals and standards obviously—even if we are notoriously two faced."

"What are they?" Lily questioned, still being rather suspicious that this creature was really what she claimed.

"What, you don't believe me?" She answered.

"Forget this, I'm leaving."

_No! Damn it! What the hell does this beast think she's doing!_ Severus thought for a moment he really would kill the animal. Lily stormed off and Severus came out of hiding, screaming at the beast from ten feet away. His whole form shook with rage and there was a rabid nature in his cold eyes.

"I will fucking kill you! AND THEN STUFF YOU AND MOUNT YOUR HEAD ABOVE MY FIREPLACE!"

"For what? Scaring the poor girl?" The doe sighed, dipping her head slightly. The doe knew damn well Lily was too wound up over the whole 'your best friend loves you' business; the girl would wake up the next morning thinking it was a trick, a very amusing trick.

"Lily must fall in love with me." He muttered and the doe shook her head and snorted.

"I _cannot_ perform any sort of love spell to make one mortal fall in love with another, even if you do capture me." She said cautiously, but the boy would have none of it.

"I would command it!" He bellowed and once more the hind shook her head, he turned away from her and began to flee from her fuming with anger.

"Mortals." She sighed, edging off to a far corner of the pasture and resuming grazing.

It seemed to the hind that the boy would never accept the limitations she was bound to. She knew if she were to follow through with his wishes currently and become his then the whole world could be forced to pay the consequences of his lust and greed. Though she didn't perceive that the future would entail that as fate would have it, Lily Evans would give birth to a miracle son, and it wouldn't be Severus's. If she couldn't even remember her own name, how was she supposed to return to the Fairy Kingdom, with no name and no sense of direction? Perhaps holding off was for the better, she had eluded capture for far too long and it had started to tear at her. Voldemort shot an arrow that had been meant to kill her, and the hind knew she could not afford to be captured by any man such as that. Whatever plans that fate had for her were not meant to be used for malevolent purposes. Severus had been utterly miserable the years he couldn't find the hind and she had been miserable without a home for what seemed a million years. Misery often finds other miserable souls to be with, and it was certain that her misery was being drained from her and she finally had company. If what she had seen in the visions was to be taken seriously, it was going to be a very long time before the boy was ready for such responsibility.

Fin Part One


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own HP nor any of the characters in the book or movie as they are property of JK Rowling. Part 2 of…many…enjoy

It was the full moon; the ground was covered by a misty fog and outside it was becoming chilly. Severus had bundled himself up and escaped outside to see if Lily would come to the Sidhe as promised, but as he neared the paddock, he found the deer to be hiding out under the large oak in her enclosure. The hind hardly moved a muscle, her ears stood straight up along with her guard hairs; she was busy staring into the abyss. He moved towards the wall to hide, trying to figure out what she was staring at, and then he noticed it. It was a Centaur holding a crossbow in his hands; he was busy pawing at the earth, his dark eyes scanning the area around him. What was he looking for? The creature moved off and into the darkness, Severus ran to the paddock to see what the matter was, but the closer he got to the oak, the more fidgety she became until he stopped a good distance from her.

"Has Lily been here?" He questioned, but the doe was far too busy to be plagued by this child in these current circumstances.

"SHHH!" Her ears tilted backwards against her skull, then strained forward waiting for the right moment. Finally she turned to Severus and let her ears relax, but they were constantly twitching at no particular sound.

"Lily has been here?"

"No." She replied as she went to stand up and shake herself off.

"What were you doing hiding under the oak tree?" A thousand questions with this boy, the hind thought.

"That Centaur was watching something, I wanted to find out what it was but you interrupted my patrol." She started to walk around the area and sniffed at a rock and a few other bits of nature.

"You? Patrolling? Ha, ha, I doubt you could protect the school against anything." He folded his arms and began to relax a little before she shot her head up and stood there like a statue.

"I smell it, I hear it, but I cannot see it. It's not safe for you out here. Go back inside where you belong. I have my tree to hide in, you're mortal and I can't risk you getting killed tonight." She turned to him, "Go while you can, it's not a good night to come see me."

"What is it you're looking for? What does it smell like?" He hunkered down close to the oak while she stood on patrol.

"Death. I fear it is a very bad omen indeed. Something foul is running afoot, and…There it is. Quick get in that tree!" As soon as the hind said it, he backed into the hole in the tree and the doe jumped in there in a flash.

It suddenly became freezing out and the wind kicked up, the night seemed deathly still. No creature made a sound, not even a post owl would dare make a peep, the hind seemed very uneasy and once more all the guard hairs on her back stood up. The silence was almost killing him, for he could not see out the hole as the doe shielded him with her entire body but making sure she didn't touch him or he her.

"Alright, come out, it's alright." She stepped out of the dart hole and he came out after her.

"What was it you saw?" He asked, the doe shook her head and sighed. She glanced at him for a moment and then spoke.

"Death. Now go back to the Castle before I take you back myself." The boy groaned and began walking back when all of a sudden it seemed like he was being launched forward. The next thing he knew he was back in his room at the Castle, so the doe could perform magic.

The next morning the sun was out and it had warmed up a little before the mid afternoon and the students were out loafing about the grounds doing homework or chatting. Severus of course, went to go see the hind, a carrot in his pocket and a relaxed demeanor this morning.

The hind stood out in her usual corner of the paddock, nosing about some roots and then digging at the earth with a careful eye looking for more of the delicacy underground.

He whistled for her and a casual ear pricked up but she ignored his call and kept pursuing her business. Her left side of vision watched as the one called Lily approached Severus, the hind sorted. _Mortals_ _and their silly love games_, she rolled her eyes and resumed "normal" deer duties.

"Sev." Lily said, the boy finally turned around and blushed.

"Oh, hello Lily." He was a bit taken back by her sudden urge to appear but he was glad by some count. Usually they would make plans after breakfast, but today she had left without a word off to her first class.

"Sev, you don't really think that…_deer_ is really the Sidhe? I mean…-it's just a fairy tale."

Ah yes, the girl had made a very good point. However the hind expected something like this from a girl with no "pure" magical blood. She carefully lifted her head and watched the two interact while placidly munching on cud.

"You can't believe that. I mean, come on, it _spoke_ to you." The boy began but the girl shook her head.

"I'm sorry Sev; I think maybe the Gryffindor boys pulled a prank on you. I mean, it's not too hard to enchant an animal to speak or at least, to appear as if it's speaking." She had started to walk away when he grabbed at her arm, pleading with her.

"You mustn't believe that! I know Lily, I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me—I swear it! It's the Sidhe!" Lily put a hand to his mouth. Tears in her eyes as she drew away from him and started to turn away, flailing her arms as she turned to get away from him.

"No Severus, no."

He watched her disappear before he turned to the doe; who had an amused expression on her mug. Those cold black eyes stalked Lily's form until the girl was out of her sight, and then they turned to him. The boy climbed the wall and then slipped down to his knees and sat on the ground, his face covered by his hair. The hind knew better than to question him now, for in her delicate ears she could hear him sniffling and attempting not to cry any harder than he already was. The doe lifted her head to scout the area before speaking.

"Stop your crying. She's just a girl, you'll find more." Those being the only real words of wisdom she could give to him before she moved close to his face.

"She's not just any girl, Sidhe." He replied through his tears. The hind moved closer to his ear but far enough to where he couldn't grab her, before making a return statement.

"From what I see, she's mortal like the rest of them. Sure she's brainy and sure she's attractive, but she's a _girl_. She's not as mature as you." The deer strained her neck to glance at the Gryffindor Gang gamboling on the grounds near the entrance. With a soft sigh she flopped down next to him on the earth.

"Why doesn't she believe me?" He questioned sadly, finally brushing the hair from his eyes. The doe's ears went down a moment.

"She's from the world of the mundane, she doesn't understand the concept of magic just yet, but she will. Her world is one based in reality, ours, yours and mine is based in fantasy, and we're used to having magic. She's not. In time she will become accustomed to her powers, and in time, she'll believe with you, but for now, now she is mundane. She is as mundane as the rain, there's nothing magical in the rain it just exists without any permission. It falls, it goes, it creates life, it's non magical and it's like her, it's mundane." Came the jumbled reply. Severus could not understand now, but one day he would recall her words and completely comprehend it.

"I have to go now." He said quietly, the hind stood up and glanced over at where the Gang of boys had been, all gone now of course.

"You never asked me what was in the forest last night." She casually began, moving back and forth in her patrol pace.

"It's not that important is it?" He responded quickly, one eyebrow lifted curiously at his Sidhe.

"When you get older you may be persuaded that the darker things will bring you the greatest power. It's not true young Severus. Dark things will cloud your judgment and bring you nothing but problems with those who will fear you. You have light in you; don't be persuaded to the dark."

"Is this about Tom Riddle? He's just a half blood who wants to make sure the true magical blood stays where it belongs." Severus responded gently, but the hind shook her head and barked at him.

"Tom Riddle is a mad man who will stop at nothing to achieve absolute power. You, child, cannot foresee the damage and destruction that man will cause. His message has fooled plenty already and there shall be plenty more to follow." She paused short and whispered to him, "James comes this way. Only the Potter boy."

"For what reason?" Severus remarked angrily, the hind silenced herself as James came to the gate.

"Snivellus, a word. If I can manage to steal you from your precious 'Sidhe' for a moment." His tone was commanding, the hind's ears went flat and her guard hairs went up. But she could not reveal herself to this boy, one day perhaps, but not today. Snape stood up to face James, his face slightly blotchy from the tears he had shed, but there was that glare of hatred in his eyes.

"What Potter."

"You think by telling Evans that this obvious deer is the Sidhe is liable to make her fall for your pathetic arse? Think again Snivelly; she will never go for you. Ever." James replied, folding his arms. Severus took a few steps forward before James jumped the gate and rushed him; both boys went down in a fight. James managed to get on top of Sev and started to beat him, while Sev tried to get his hands up to block his face, James kept finding soft spots to hit him. Only after Severus began to bleed from his mouth and nose did the hind bark and kick James. Potter went flying back, as soon as he hit solid ground, the hind began to drive her forelegs into his chest, repeatedly kicking him and barking.

"A FIGHT! A FIGHT!" It was some Slytherins who came running to help Severus until they realized the deer was kicking the shit out of James Potter.

"Get him! Get him!" The Slytherins cheered as the hind kicked James one last time square in the jaw, knocking him out cold on the ground. The hind kept barking until some other Gryffindors came to collect James's unconscious body.

"YOU BLOODY BASTARD!" it was Sirius Black along with some of the others who figured Severus and the Slytherins had done this to James.

"YOU MOBBED HIM!" screamed one of the third years in the flock.

"YOU SLYTHERINS ARE SICK!" yelled Sirius again, coming after Severus himself when Bellatrix yelled back.

"You arse, his bloody pet deer did this to your _beloved_ James. So back off."

"THAT'S BULLSHIT IF I EVER HEARD IT!" Sirius blasted as he took his own cousin down and thus began a second fight.

The Slytherin and the Gryffindor boys were hard at battle, there were second years fighting fourth years. It started with fists at first, as to be expected, until someone brought out a wand and started a whole new fight. By this time a large crowd had gathered and was cheering on their favorite side, the Slytherin girls got in it next. It wasn't until Dumbledore himself came out to put an end to it, did peace ensue.

"ENOUGH! I'm disappointed, you all are acting like grade school children, and you should be ashamed of yourselves. Enough of this fighting, now tell me who started this war between two houses?" Everyone fell silent and James finally came to.

"The deer did." He said as he rose from the ground, Severus shouted back at James, rolling up his sleeves.

"You jumped me!"

"Prove it!"

"YOU ATTACKED ME OVER EVANS!"

Dead silence.

"Prove it." James finished finally, he looked at Dumbledore with his bloody face and the headmaster nodded.

"Severus I believe this creature is violent."

"Headmaster you know she's not! Headmaster you have to believe me, Potter attacked me and then she set herself upon him. How else did I end up with this bloody nose?" Severus pleaded with Dumbledore who nodded in agreement.

"I'll see both of you boys in my office, in the mean time Severus; release her so I won't have to worry about more students being at the mercy of a mad deer." The headmaster started to walk away as both sides moved away and went off to either go to the nurse or back to their dwellings, leaving Severus alone with the Sidhe.

"How could you attack him like that? Now everyone thinks your dangerous and I could get in trouble, serious trouble SIDHE!" He stepped towards her and she backed away, coyly side stepping him and wandering off.

"He knows what I am." Came the riddled response as she coolly looked off in the direction of the mountains then to the castle.

"Who's he?" Severus demanded chucking a rock at her to make her turn around to answer him.

"Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore. He knows." She twisted away from the boy and walked towards the far edge of the paddock.

"How?"

"He came and he spoke to me. About two nights ago, before the full moon, I did not respond to him but he knows. He wouldn't have visited me if he didn't believe there was something seriously strange with a hind that comes up to his waist. I'm not big like normal deer, haven't you noticed? And what other deer speaks, what other deer is so small and fawn looking. I'm only two and a half foot at the shoulder Severus. That's tiny compared to the red deer who roam here. He knows I'm the Sidhe." Her ears flickered, the sunlight glinting off of the black tips at the top.

"Then why must you go away somewhere where I cannot see you or speak to you?"

"It'll be temporary," she responded, "he won't keep me away forever, just until the danger passes."

"Danger? At Hogwarts? Codswallop." The boy folded his arms and shook his head, what she had said was so ridiculous to him.

"What do you think was watching me in the paddock young Severus, it was no creature who often roams these woods, no my child, that was a Dementor last night in our midst. You fool; you think Dumbledore really thinks I'm dangerous? I will be close to you, though not here."

"A—a Dementor? No, they're only at Azkaban. Not here in Hogwarts territory, they're bound by the ministry." He stammered but the hind shushed him.

"Not all are bound by that, there are rogue everything these days. Rogue unicorns, rogue wizards, and so on and so forth. I know what I smelled and saw." She moved away again, circling him a few moments before clipping at the grass.

"Why would a Dementor come here of all places?"

"The Sidhe," she returned coldly, "someone must have informed the darker powers that be, so I must leave for a time until it is safe to come out of hiding."

"But," he began and then hesitated before shaking his head, "where will you go?"

"I will be in Dumbledore's office for a short time. A few days perhaps, while he studies me and amuses himself with my stories, I could speak to him I suppose, he seems to have no interest in capturing me. I will leave this place after that. But once the snows come I can hide fairly well in the paddock, as long as I stay under my oak during the night and come out during the day."

"We have to find a better solution than that." Severus said, pacing in his long drawn out thoughts. The hind watched him for a long while as he wiped the drying blood from his nostrils and chin and had that look of genius on his face.

"What is your plan?" She questioned, eyeing him cautiously.

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Severus Snape was an exceptional thinker, capable of coming up with a good solution to any ordeal, the hind admired that but it seemed to be taking him forever. She moved around him, waiting patiently for an answer which seemed to take forever.

"I'll have to do research."

"Research?" The hind was quizzical about this, what sort of research for a Sidhe? Had she eyebrows, they would have risen most curiously.

"It's a complicated and delicate process that I have to study, I know you have magical powers that are far greater than any other but your bound by limitations. How long has it been since you fully used your power?" The look in those young boy's eyes, he had quite a brain on him, oh yes. If only he would get off Lily, he could perhaps find a nice witch to settle with and that would be the end of that.

"It's been a very long time. Not since the Roman Empire began, but I'm afraid they are too much for you to see or handle at this point. What was your idea?" She chewed cud and pawed at the earth lazily with a foreleg, the boy said nothing for a while but when he did, it was sheer brilliance.

"If you could change your physical form to something as mundane and routine as a house cat you'd fit right in, and out here, if you could do that, the camouflage created by turning into something else would be endless. One minute you're a young tree, the next a rock, and the next a bird. Endless." The hind nodded enthusiastically and laughed.

"You are bloody brilliant. Yes, yes, I used to do that in times of old. However once my stories in the Muggle world died out, well, I had no use for that trick anymore."

"Go and be hidden where you must, but if I need you, you'll be there?" He questioned, the hind's ears tipped back and she snorted.

"I'm only watching you; I know your every movement." Eventually she would return but for now, she would be out of sight and out of mind, for now. She knew the boy would eventually land himself in a heap of trouble, as the visions foretold—and she'd be back again.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

_Run! RUN! Quicker! The faster you fly through the forest the faster you can get to the boy!_ The Forbidden Forest was alive with movement, though the moon barely penetrated the trees and something was hot on the Sidhe's tail. The hungry lycanthrope, formerly Remus Lupin, was going to make her his next meal. She had heard the boy, the one they called "Snivellus", as if the pack of young males who called themselves "The Marauders" could conjure up a more fitting name, cry out. It wasn't her duty to protect the boy, but, if he was supposed to be her ultimate master then she couldn't exactly let him die.

The half man and half wolf leapt at her haunches but the doe kicked him square in the mug as hard as she could with the tips of her cloven hooves, slicing into his face and getting blood in his eyes before she bounded away from him and towards the willow. Where had the stag gone? She quickly changed direction as the scent of the buck and blood filled her nose and led her back to the forest she had just bolted out of, but it was only the stag and the boy, the grim and the rat were nowhere to be seen.

"Move aside." She pushed the stag out of the way, her face only fractions of inches away from Severus's face. If he were conscious, it would have been the perfect opportunity, but trauma and possibly blood loss played in the doe's favor.

"And who the hell are you?" the stag snorted back, shaking his antlers at the much smaller doe who kicked at his face and barked in response, her guard hairs along her back rising like needles on a porcupine. Immediately the memory of the doe attacking him came back in a flash and he knew it was the very same deer.

"What the bloody hell happened? Where are the other two idiots?" the hind looked around quickly before her gaze returned to the stag who, for the most part, seemed rather bewildered.

"You…you…you can speak?" the doe merely nodded in response, too frantic to worry about where the other boys were. She looked over his wounds and at first glance she hadn't seen it until she picked up a stick to move his clothing, if she actually physically touched him and he woke up he would claim her as his own and frankly, that didn't need to happen now. There it was, a large section of arm torn away by only one very obvious creature.

"Damn it, I was afraid of that." She turned quickly to James, "You there, Potter, how sharp are your horns?"

"Um…you're a fucking talking doe, mind explaining how you are making S-OOOOOOUUUUUNNNND-ZZZZ?" the doe rolled her eyes and kicked at him again, missing him by mere inches.

"No time. I'll owe you a favor later; just stab me with your sharpest tine." The doe waited but James Potter didn't budge, until she suddenly turned on him and he had no choice but to gore her in the shoulder. As they stepped back from their deer-squabble, James blabbered apologetically but the Sidhe was far too busy to hear him. She began to lick at Severus's werewolf bite, picking up the blood with her tongue and swallowing it, trying to take as much of the saliva out of the wound left there by Lupin. Before her own blood clotted, she used her tongue again as a brush to paint her blood onto his forearm and finally to drop some of her blood into his mouth and stepped back.

The flesh around the arm began to heal quickly, the muscles going first but not before the injured Snape regained consciousness, and rather vocally expressing his gratitude while rolling around in extreme pain. Though the doe didn't seem to be in better shape, she bolted a good distance from the boys (James had now reverted back to his human self) and writhed in her own agony.

"SON OF A BITCH! BLOODY HELL! AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"You're lucky I heard you screaming you moron! Next time you can have fun being a werewolf!" the Sidhe seemed to have trouble standing but eventually she darted off deeper into the forest as the Headmaster made his way through the woods and towards them.

When the hind found a suitable thicket to collapse in, she lay there panting, her wound had disappeared completely but she could still feel the searing pain experienced by the boy. A rustle in the bushes around her made her quiet herself and get as low to the ground as possible.

"You've finally found yourself a master." The doe heaved a sigh of relief as it was only another Sidhe, except without the added insult of being a hind.

"You scared the shit out of me." The doe breathed, lying quietly on the cool earth as the other Sidhe spoke to her again.

"Maybe you'll finally learn your lesson." The Sidhe who wasn't a doe was actually rather human looking, hell, she could have been a Muggle with the way she had been dressed. Long auburn hair ran down past her shoulders like a mane while her ensemble was very plain. She wore nothing more than a white tunic, though over her shoulder was a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Just because we are blood now doesn't seal our bond, you know that." The hind looked up, "You think after all these years of being free, though in the form of a fucking deer—you know how many idiots took shots at me? Or how many times I nearly got hit by one of those Muggle machines? I was free Mother! FREE! I know the rules of my punishment, but you haven't won yet!"

"Daughter, is it so hard to believe that maybe learning a little servitude is good for you? You out of all the others, my own blood betrayed me and took the longest to complete her sentence." The woman hesitated, even though her daughter was stubborn and even difficult at times, mothers always had a soft spot for their offspring.

"The bond hasn't officially been sealed yet, until he touches me and verbally claims me as his, I'll have to live with the consequences. The boy feels pain, I feel pain. The boy feels pleasure, I feel pleasure. The boy dies…" the hind's voice broke off and the woman smirked triumphantly. Although they were now bonded by blood, her daughter had made a fatal mistake, even if she had indeed saved the boy's life.

"The punishment ends, but not before you experience death yourself, you will feel everything he feels the moment he dies and you yourself will experience what it is like to die." The woman adjusted her bow before moving off, but not before warning her daughter.

"If the dark one captures you, you best not tell him who your master is, if he kills the boy—we don't stand a chance at bringing balance back to this side of the veil."

"Greeeeaaaat…." The hind relinquished a heavy sigh before curling into a ball and for once, actually sleeping, it was going to be a long time before she was needed by the boy again.

Severus in the meantime, was not a werewolf, although Dumbledore suspected that the boy's lack of wounds had meant that he had been treated by someone or something. Sitting in his office, the Headmaster stared down at the fifteen year old who was very obviously bruised now that he owed James Potter a debt of gratitude. As he rounded his desk, he cleared his throat and waited for Severus to look up.

"Curiosity killed the cat, and in this case, nearly yourself. I don't think if the doe had been hanging around here, for whatever reason, that you would have survived." The headmaster paused and the teenager shook his head, being completely unaware of the exchange of blood between the two of them.

"What do you mean?"

"You were bitten." Dumbledore replied quietly whilst the young man's expression of fear turned into an expression of anguish. He immediately pulled up his sleeve to see the obvious mark that now branded him as a werewolf but—there was nothing. Severus was amazed but confused; his arm had no evidence of the bite wound it had suffered. How? How was this even possible?

"The Sidhe healed me?" he turned his arm over a few times in the light but it never changed.

"Precisely," the headmaster paused, "I've known for some time that the creature is, well, the fabled creature of legend. Though why she has chosen to stand sentinel over you I cannot possible fathom. Have you captured her?"

"No. She won't let me near her, well, she will but…" the teenager's voice trailed off, after all he did have plenty of opportunity to capture her but she had repeatedly claimed that he had not been ready to handle such power.

"Your greed hasn't gotten the better of you; consider it a good thing, until you both consider yourselves ready for the commitment ahead. After all, it will be a lifetime one. She can teach you many wondrous things, knowledge that has been lost for centuries to time. I am surprised by your lack of ambition in not fully trying to capture and tame her; a lesser man would've placed her in a cage and ordered her to bring to fruition their deepest desires." Albus thought it very strange that a boy of nearly sixteen was not in any rush to obtain such a powerful creature, but perhaps it was better for both of them that the Sidhe remained an ally and not a servant. No telling what sort of powers, good and evil, had been searching for the beast since the beginning of time. The fact that the last one was here, following a boy around was surprising, if not completely unsuspected.

"Sir, if I have no bite wound, does it mean that she's prevented me from also becoming a werewolf?" Severus looked up from his arm and the headmaster shrugged.

"That's a question you'll have to ask her, I do not possess the knowledge of how it's possible." The headmaster paused, with that characteristic twinkle in his eye.

"Unless you care to wait until the next full moon to see if you become one."

Winter came when Sidhe had returned again back to the paddock, though she often left and went about her usual business. Her return had brought a small herd of red deer along with her, but it was always easiest to spot where the Sidhe was within the confines of the herd. The specks of dander that fell from the havens, and then slowly, turned into chunks that made the hind almost disappear completely during snowy days. It wasn't until right before Christmas vacation that Lily had come to her, standing contently gazing into the fortress where the nearly invisible hind could be seen. The Sidhe hadn't twitched a muscle as she watched Severus come behind Lily and the two began to a long talk, which of course, the hind eavesdropped.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked gently, but the girl shook her head and shrugged, glancing at him for only a second before returning to the intended target of her gaze.

"No."

"Evans, it's freezing out here!" He did something he never would have done on a normal day but it was his chance to finally bust a move. He removed his winter cloak and placed it around her shoulders, she moaned lightly in reply, annoyed by this but yet, thankful.

"Sev, you are the best Slytherin I know." The boy blushed and felt the warmth spread all over his body. He glanced away from her and when she didn't look back, he sniffed her hair. The hind would have laughed at the priceless expression on his face, she had never seen him so contented, but she knew the truth and the reality of it all. His dreams were to never come true.

The snow swirled around the two as Lily leaned back against Sev and put her head on his shoulder. Severus being the sensitive young boy he was took this to mean she liked him, he didn't hesitate and he kissed her ear.

"SEV!" Lily shrieked and jumped away from him startled, her green eyes wide with horror.

"What? I—I…I'm sorry Lily, I wasn't thinking." He stammered, "Forgive me?"

"Sev, I…I'm not like that. I don't like you _that way_."

_Ah what fatal words for such a young boy at his age, but he'll never learn. This girl doesn't want him and there's nothing he or I can do about it, still I can't but feel pity for him. I'm his dream come true and yet I can do nothing to satisfy his greed for her. Completely obsessed, totally and utter in love with someone who doesn't love him. He will simply never learn will he?_ The hind thought, she snorted. _Pity. What is this? I feel pity for such a thing. Get a hold of yourself, but, how can I when I know he's doomed to fail from the beginning. Mortals..._

"I-I'm really sorry Lily, I really am. I don't know what I was thinking."

_Maybe if he just got his hair out of his damn eyes and washed up a bit maybe he'd be at least halfway decent._

"Sev, you know I love you, but just as a friend. Nothing more. Is there something you want to tell me?"

_Here we go, she asked him. Wait for it…_

"Me?" he squeaked, "No. No…what would make you think something like that?"

_You damned idiot._

"Sev, do you…have a _crush_ on me?"

_Dear Gods girl, stop it, can't you see your breaking his already broken heart? HE'S MISERABLE!_

"Ha! Ha, that's funny Evans." He ruffled his hair, "It's rather cute that you think that, me of all people…."

_No, no, no, no no no NO! Foolish boy, are you that shy and insecure with no balls to tell her the truth? I should have expected it, especially from you my dear._

"Severus, you can tell me."

_NOW the bitch decides to get serious, god damn Lily Evans, can't you see he loves you?_

"Lily, honestly, no. I couldn't—I wouldn't."

_You shouldn't…but you do, don't you?_

"I should be getting back to the dormitory, I told Remus I'd study with him." She backed away before leaving completely, taking his cloak and all.

The hind watched as the ruined boy went and slumped down against the gate, talking to himself the entire time as the snow fell thicker and thicker. A half an hour passed by before the hind moved towards the gate.

"She took your cloak." That was the only thing the hind could conceive of saying, she had no comforting words for him to hear, and even if she did, he would never listen to her.

"Damn it." He was crying, again, it was the third time this week that he had been and the hind had caught him sobbing again.

The Sidhe scrambled through her gate carefully as not get stuck and lay as close to him as she could. She still wouldn't allow him to touch her, though she could tell through his anguish that it was some kind of compassionate act of touching him or letting him bury himself in her fur and sob. He still wasn't ready. She got off the ground and bounded off, eventually she turned around to gaze over the boy's still huddled and sobbing figure.

_I'm only sorry I can do nothing for you._

Then she continued off, heading towards the wild where she belonged.

The spring came and then the summer. Severus spent every waking hour with the Sidhe who listened to every single rant he could possibly come up with. The hind would always listen intently and then shake her head after a while when he had to walk back to the castle. The hind couldn't but feel a twinge of guilt, if she allowed him to capture her; she could practically give him everything he could ever imagine…well, except Lily Evans. The first year of their meeting had been a pleasant one, how could she forget the expression on his face when he found out that she was what his heart sought. It had been centuries and she had been lonely all this time, but now, she could feel a part of her coming back to life again and it seemed that things were looking up. No Death Eaters had found her just yet, no Voldemort or anyone of that sort, yet. She had to remind herself that there was always the possibility that Severus could betray her secret and never claim her as his own. But, the longer they spent speaking to each other and learning about one another, the further that option went from her mind.

As far as his little insane obsession with Lily Evans, that hadn't faded in the slightest. For all the hind knew, the duo was always together, but that girl had no clue, but if she did, then why did she deny him? His attitude hadn't changed much either, he was still as bitter as ever.

Had this been the era of the emo, Severus Snape would have been the biggest one of all. Surely the obsession with the girl would fade in time. She had only one or two visions of the girl's life after school—they were not good by any means, and she knew the girl would have to die. Of course, she couldn't bring herself to say this to Severus; the poor young man would probably slit his wrists or something. Though she was surprised at his patience with her, the fact that he had not once reached out to touch her. They had the conversation about how she had managed to spare him from a fate where every full moon he would transform into something uglier than his already hideous personality. She neglected to mention the fact that he would now feel everything she felt physically and she, well him.

He didn't need to know…not yet anyway…


End file.
